I watched the video of Tiff Needel driving the Ford Puma around a wet track
again today. He got the car massively sideways (I'd say about the same as he
got the RWD M5). Any ideas on how he managed it? P'raps I need to get
someone to watch me make the car go sideways to tell me how sideways I am...
Or maybe I need to practice a lot. On an empty runway. :P

Doki wrote:

I watched the video of Tiff Needel driving the Ford Puma around a wet track
again today. He got the car massively sideways (I'd say about the same as he
got the RWD M5). Any ideas on how he managed it? P'raps I need to get
someone to watch me make the car go sideways to tell me how sideways I am...
Or maybe I need to practice a lot. On an empty runway. :P

Lift-off oversteer. HTH.
--
Steve H
http://www.italiancar.co.uk - Honda VFR800
VW Golf GL Cabrio - Alfa 33 16v - Alfa 33 1.7ie
BoTAFOT #87 - BoTAFOF #18 - MRO # - UKRMSBC #7 - Apostle #2 - YTC #

"SteveH" wrote in message . ..
Doki wrote:

I watched the video of Tiff Needel driving the Ford Puma around a wet track
again today. He got the car massively sideways (I'd say about the same as he
got the RWD M5). Any ideas on how he managed it? P'raps I need to get
someone to watch me make the car go sideways to tell me how sideways I am...
Or maybe I need to practice a lot. On an empty runway. :P

Lift-off oversteer. HTH.

Maybe with a little help from the handbrake or bad tyres.

"Doki" wrote in message
...
I watched the video of Tiff Needel driving the Ford Puma around a wet
track
again today. He got the car massively sideways (I'd say about the same as
he
got the RWD M5). Any ideas on how he managed it? P'raps I need to get
someone to watch me make the car go sideways to tell me how sideways I
am...
Or maybe I need to practice a lot. On an empty runway. :P


It's not difficult /blush/ if you're foolish enough.

Currently, Kermit's wearing worn Continentals on the front, and brand new
(well, JOGLEd 2,500 mile) Firestones on the back. When the Firestones were
brand spanking new, and they had that 'orrible coating on, they were very
sideways in the wet. As in, "slip-road-at-45-mph" slidy wet.

For the Ka, and the Puma too, to get it sideways you barrel into a corner
under power. Get it turning under a moderate load to maintain the speed,
then either snap up off the power, steer into it and apply power again, or
if you're brave and have a delicate left foot, apply a little bit of brake
(with the left foot) and nail the power.

You do learn how quick you need to be going to get this behaviour, but the
steering and the noise from the tyres does tell you when you're at gooning
speed.

For me, the brilliance of the Ka / Fiesta / Puma chassis isn't how much grip
it has, but how it is very easy to control when you're gooning. The PSA
Group's chassis' may have more grip, but they snap into oversteer rather
than drift, at least from the factory.

--
The DervMan
www.dervman.com

I've gotten sideways in a 1974 mini and a 1995 Cinquecento.

short cars seem to do it more than longer FWD cars IMO

Tim S Kemp wrote in message
. ..

"Doki" wrote in message
...
I watched the video of Tiff Needel driving the Ford Puma around a wet
track
again today. He got the car massively sideways (I'd say about the same
as
he
got the RWD M5). Any ideas on how he managed it? P'raps I need to get
someone to watch me make the car go sideways to tell me how sideways I
am...
Or maybe I need to practice a lot. On an empty runway. :P

Usually lift throttle sharpish at high RPM shifting weight forwards and
then
the back will step out if well comitted into bend. It'll go all the way
round if you don't balance throttle and steering right.

Great fun, but not to be tried on road!

Hmm. I've noticed the back end slide round a little if you back off the
throttle slightly. I think I'll have to find somewhere to have a good mess
around...

"Doki" wrote in message
...
I watched the video of Tiff Needel driving the Ford Puma around a wet
track
again today. He got the car massively sideways (I'd say about the same as
he
got the RWD M5). Any ideas on how he managed it? P'raps I need to get
someone to watch me make the car go sideways to tell me how sideways I
am...
Or maybe I need to practice a lot. On an empty runway. :P



Tiff favours a bit of handbrake to loosen the back end and high corner entry
speed to keep it there.

RWD is much more biddable and controllable IMHO.

On 09 Jul 2003 21:30:03 GMT, Niffbub wrote:

I've gotten sideways in a 1974 mini and a 1995 Cinquecento.

short cars seem to do it more than longer FWD cars IMO

naaaah - rover 800, volvo S60, Volvo S80, rover 600,, Vectra (old and new)
and mondeo. had them all very sideways. Oh, and a zafira....


--
Using M2, Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/

I've gotten sideways in a 1974 mini and a 1995 Cinquecento.

short cars seem to do it more than longer FWD cars IMO

naaaah - rover 800, volvo S60, Volvo S80, rover 600,, Vectra (old and new)
and mondeo. had them all very sideways. Oh, and a zafira....


My 405 takes a lot of provoking, especially on the 205 tyres to get it to
slide anywhere, sideways takes deliberate and excessive intent.

--
Dan

"Niffbub" wrote in message ...
I've gotten sideways in a 1974 mini and a 1995 Cinquecento.

short cars seem to do it more than longer FWD cars IMO

They tend to have more of there mass over the front wheels to begin
with and being taller (relative to there length) they have a larger weight
transfer forward under braking. You can get almost any car to go if
you provoke it hard enough.